Choosing sides

Claire Redfield stood on the helipad as the chopper touched down. She was practically hopping from foot to foot she was so impatient, though she was having to shield her eyes from the wind being whipped up as she did so. Leon Kennedy, hero or no, was about to get a piece of her mind, and then some! Letting himself get caught up in a kidnap rescue? She didn’t care who it was, that wasn’t who HE was. They were supposed to be fighting bioterrorism, making the world a better place.

Leon was going to kill someone. Even if Ashley had been dropped off, his phone kept ringing. He was two seconds away from pitching it out the window. It didn't matter if they were landing. 
When his chopper landed he hardly noticed anything as he climbed out and stomped toward the entrance.

Elizabeth Redfield sat on the edge of the heli pad, watching Leon's helicopter fly in. She already knew he was upset about the president's daughter from the report he'd sent. She and Jill couldn't help but laugh. Especially when he'd started yelling about being felt up. She couldn't wait to dig in something about it. 
Sighing she closed her eyes and let the breeze flow through her dark red hair. She'd text her friend and tell him about this. He'd find it amusing.

“That’s it? You drop off the face of the planet for days, and you can’t even spare me a ‘hello?’.” Claire’s wide sapphire eyes were blazing as she placed herself in Leon’s path. “Your phone is always glued to your hand and you couldn’t even send me a message?!” She added.  
It was clear the youngest member of the Redfield clan was masking her worry with anger, something they all seemed to do. It hadn’t helped that she had only found out he was safe thanks to an anonymous message that was signed with a picture of a crimson butterfly. It was no real secret who it had come from.

Leon didn't speak until they were inside. "I didn't have my phone this time, Claire." He grumbled. "Maybe I should have but I was on a secret mission saving the president's daughter and what does the son of a bitch do? He fired me!" He snapped. "The whole thing was a disaster. Especially when Ada showed up." He added, shoving his fingers through his  hair.

Elizabeth got up and followed the others inside. She passed Leon and Claire and waved at Chris who was pretending not to be listening in. 
She closed the door to her office and sent a message to her friend, telling him about Leon's return, an entire group of people from around the world coming to help set up their anti terror organization, and remind him it was his turn at chess.

Claire’s expression instantly softened and she pulled his fingers from his hair, holding it gently to her cheek instead. “I told you you were too good to be Mr government agent.” She breathed, turning her face slightly to kiss his palm. It seemed she didn’t even realise Chris was nearby, watching as well as listening. 

It didn’t take more than a few minutes for Elizabeth’s phone to ring after she sent the message. “Anti terror? Umbrella is dead and buried, what is left?” The smooth voice asked. “And please tell me you don’t find it is least somewhat amusing the so good boyscout got landed with yet another babysitting job. Soon he will have enough to buy himself those pretty new shoes he’s had his eyes on.” He added with a smirk.

Leon looked heartbroken. It was the job he'd worked for all his life. Silently he pulled Claire closer to him and rested his forehead against hers. "Remember me telling you about Krauser?" He whispered. "He showed up...he tried to kill me...long story...what is it with people these days?" 
"Hey! Kennedy!" Chris was loud and boisterous as he rounded the corner. He slapped the other man on the shoulder, forcing him away from his sister. "Mission report doesn't write itself. And how about that beer you promised?" He went on, dragging him out of the room completely.

Elizabeth sat in her chair, grinning at the screen. "You're the worst." She said, shaking her head. "Apparently, kidnapping that girl was a diversion so the US forces wouldn't see what was really going on. Spain picked up on it and their guys died for it. 
"There's someone who just showed up on the market offering Plagas to the highest bidder. I'm assuming it's the Crimson Butterfly. 
I think Umbrella is just the jumping off point. I think we need this group if people like Butterfly and her client are still out there. Salvador told me the client is...." She paused and gave a sheepish laugh. "I'm doing it again. You didn't even tell me about your root canal!" She teased. "Or that girl you were going to date."

“Hey! You’re not his boss, you don’t get to do this!” Claire shouted, but the door slammed shut on her words. “Asshole!” The last one was just to make herself feel better. It was always like this. For some reason Chris just never accepted how she felt about Leon. Claire had barely eaten or slept since she had found out Leon was missing, and it was beginning to catch up with her. Even so, she wanted him sleeping right there next to her. 
“Seriously?” Jill was waiting on the other side of the door when Chris pushed Leon through it. Her arms were folded across her chest and and was giving him the mother of all stink eye. 

“Date is such a strong word.” The male voice mused. “Have dinner and get into her pants is more accurate.” He added with a chuckle. “Anyway, You really think someone who calls herself ‘Crimson Butterfly’ can be that much of a problem?”

Chris pretended not to see her as he guided Leon to a seat with a mountain of paperwork. 
The poor man's face was as red as Claire's hair as he began to work. He wasn't in the mood for this. 
Chris paused in front of Jill and kissed her. "I'm getting a new tattoo." He purred in her ear. "It's going to say cock blocker. It's okay to be jealous."

"You know how the underground is, everyone has a great name. I'll bet even Spenser has one for when hes trolling the hubs looking for a leftover zombie hooker from Raccoon city." Elizabeth said with an impish grin. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours, Al."

Jill wasn’t ashamed to admit that she felt a flutter low in her belly when he purred those words against her ear. She was biting her lip as she looked up at Chris from beneath dark lashes, slender hands sliding up his defined arms as though imagining the tattoo already. “I think…” She reached up on tip toes she she could now be the one to brush her lips against his ear. “It should say blue balls, because that’s what you’re getting, Red.” That said, she winked at him and turned to walk away, the exaggerated sway of her shapely hips meant to drive her point home. 

“Lizzie…” He couldn’t help the genuine chuckle at her comment. “Even a zombie hooker would be repulsed by ancient man flesh.” He teased. “Although, it does have me curious about this bad girl name you claim to have… I knew the good girl thing was all an act.”

Chris groaned as he watched his lover walk away. "You hate me, woman."
"Ada showed up and stole the plagas virus we were looking for." Leon said over the mountain of paperwork. "She also mentioned a client. From something Krauser said I'm thinking it's Wesker's crew."
Chris didn't seem to like this. "Damn Wesker! He's in the middle of everything! How is he doing it?"

"Zombie hooker 29." Elizabeth said with a wicked grin. "Oh come on. Don't give me that look. I'm not a big thinker." She said when saw saw him beginning to snicker. "Plus I'm tryin to catch an old man."

Jill had sought Claire out, knowing what kind of mood the younger woman would be in after the stunt Chris just pulled. It didn’t take them long to gear up and hit the training room. While Chris had indeed trained his baby sister well with guns and knives, Jill had always been the one to make sure Claire could handle herself without any weapons. It didn’t hurt that it helped to blow off steam when needed. 

“You need to try?” He teased. “Seems you may be losing that Redfield spark.” There was a moment of drawn out silence before he spoke again. “You said there was a group coming together… how did that even happen? Where have their resources come from?”

"Didn't you promise me dinner? It's the least you could do if you're going to sit there on your high horse and make fun of me, Allen Western. You owe me for that plagas sample anyway. A steak is the least you can do." She purred, rolling her eyes at the sound of Jill and Claire shouting at one another as they blew off steam. She wished it was so easy for her to do the same.

There was the sound of another amused chuckle. “Business and pleasure, lovely.” He purred. “The two were never meant I mix.” He added.

In the other room Claire was growling at Jill to reign in her meathead boyfriend as she went on the offensive.
In response, Jill simply countered each attack and told Claire she wasn’t there to fight her battles for her.

"Sounds like you're blowing me off." Elizabeth said, flipping her long red hair over her shoulder. "Fine. If you're doing that then..." She didn't get out the rest of the sentence as the door opened and Chris came in, rattling off a set of instructions from Leon's mission briefing that he wanted her to follow up on. 
Elizabeth's friend would find his view restricted to the valley of her breasts. He would even get to hear her soft muttering as a massive file box was dropped on her desk. 
"Well, Prince Charming, if you aren't saving me...then I have to call it a night." She said with a teasing laugh once her cousin had left. 

Chris stood watching his sister and partner for some time as they practiced. He loved them both dearly. He wished he could explain to them that he was doing what was right.

“Prince charming was chasing a useless, obedient woman.” ‘Al’ commented. “What use would I have for such a creature?” He asked. “Of course, if you need me to check over any of those files…”

Jill knew Chris was watching, she could always feel when his eyes were on her. She just wished he saw how capable Claire was. Like Jill, Claire was in little need of a protector; she needed someone to stand beside her, not in front of her, and that was exactly what Leon did. After some time, Jill finally our an end to the sparring by slamming Claire into the mat; proof of how much she had been holding back.

"I'll order the pizza and you meet me at my apartment with the beer." Elizabeth said. "You know I hate setting up these files alone."

"You see, Claire? This is why you can't be a part of this." Chris said, now looking down at his sister. "You're not ready. I'm not sure you eve will be." He finished, shaking his head as he leaned over to whisper something about a tattoo to Jill.

“You hate doing anything alone.” Al teased. “AnY excuse to get me alone…” He added rather dramatically. “So… pineapple and anchovies?”

Chris was trying to protect his baby sister, when in reality he was simply pushing her away. Claire shot back to her feet and shoved Chris as hard as she could, but he was considerably larger since their time toppling umbrella. She didn’t say another word, simply stormed from the training room, the door slamming shut behind her.
“You think you’re such a hard ass…” Jill mused once they were alone.

"Al, you snake. You know the way to Lizzie Redfield's heart." Elizabeth laughed. Lizzie was a name reserved only for him. When she and her cousins were children she'd do her best to beat the first one who called her that. But something about the way this man whispered it was different. It went way outside of friend zone. 

Chris sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead. "I'm an ass. I'm pushing her away and all I want is my family together. I mean...look at Lizard. Even she is an operative and I won't let Claire?" He pulled Jill against him and buried his face in her hair. "Leon asked me for her hand just now and I broke his nose..."

“Yes, a pizza that is both vile smelling, and will attempt to digest you as you eat it.” Al chuckled. “But beer… that is where I draw the line. I will bring something a little more refined. We will beat the Redfield out of you if we must.”

“Oh Red…” She breathed the words softly as her fingertips lightly traced his back, wishing the had the magic words to make this all right. “If you keep thinking you can control Claire, you’re going to lose her.” She told him gently. “Is Leon really so bad you can’t see how happy they are around each other? Her whole face lights up the moment he walks into the room.”

Lizzie opened the door for her best friend, giving him a quick kiss as he handed her a chilled bottled of wine. "Jesus, Al, where do you come up with this stuff?" She asked as she headed towards the kitchen for glasses and plates. It wasn't lost on her that he hadn't brought pizza either. By the smell it was her favorite curry place on the ritzy side of town. 
"All of this just so you can nose through my files for free?" She asked when she got back. "You know I'd let you if you just took off your shirt while you did it." She teased. "I'm easy to please."

"I know." Chris felt the horrible sting in his nose which meant he was about to cry. "But damn it...I promised her. It was going to be her and me. I was always going to protect her. What can he do for her? I don't trust him with one of my most precious things...and I only have two." Chris muttered, sniffing softly in hopes Jill didn't hear him. She knew when he got emotional.

“You show me yours, I’ll show you mine.” Al teased, reaching out and ticking some red hair behind Lizzie’s ear. “I could nose through your files… any time I liked, just so you know.”

Jill heard and she hugged him tighter, her fingers stroking though his hair now. “It was going to be you and her…. But you let me in. Claire let me take care of her most precious thing she had.” She breathed. “Maybe you should return the favour? It’s not like Leon is just after a booty call every now and then… he loves her, he asked to marry her.”

Lizzie's blush went all the way to her ears. She tried to play it off by moving away from him and setting out the plates. "Yeah well...you wouldn't know what you were reading." She snorted, handing him the wine bottle and a corkscrew. "Admit it, blondie. You need me." 

"Yeah well. He needs to prove to me he's over Ada first." Chris grunted. "And besides, I'm older and smarter than both of them. Plus we totally faced down Wesker and other shit. What did they do?" He asked, yanking her impossibly close and kissing her deeply. "God I love you, Valentine. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. Now...get naked and call me your Holiness." He growled, biting her lip.

“I think you’re just sour that it’s been so long since there was a nose in your files.” Al replied with a smirk as the cork popped out the bottle loudly.

The conversation was far from done, but Jill knew the moment he spoke to her like that she was basically putty in his expert hands. “Holy implies that what we do isn’t illegal in some countries…” Jill purred, hooking her fingers into his belt as she backed them towards the exit.

Elizabeth woke in the middle of her living room floor. Both she and Al had stayed up late, finishing off the wine and going over the boxes. 
She was sure it was the wine that had done it but she'd worked up the courage to kiss him. Soon after that she'd woken up with her her clothes and files all over the place. 
With a groan she sat up only then realizing she was alone. 

Chris sat it his office early that morning, frowning over the recommendations Elizabeth had sent to him late the night before. He knew she was right. Most of these were the best in their field. But there were some that were down right shady. 
He knew what Jill was going to say but if it got the job done...

Elizabeth likely wouldn’t know it yet, but several files were missing, and there were a few that hasn’t been there before the boxes were opened. Most notable was the file on a company called Tricell.

“After last night, I didn’t think you would be up this early.” Jill teased as she sat down at the opposite side of the desk to Chris. “Don’t you ever just relax, Red?” She asked, though her tone had grown a little more serious. “Have you spoken to Claire or Leon yet?”

"After Umbrella, I think I lost the memory of what it was like to be relaxed." Chris admitted. "And no. Claire won't talk to me." He added, thumbing through the papers in front of him. "But we'll see Leon this afternoon when we meet with the group to decide on the the future." He rubbed at his neck, still a little worried about the names his cousin had sent him. "You okay? You were tossing and turning last night."

Elizabeth gathered the files and shoved them into the box once her apartment was somewhat clean. She hadn't checked to see if anything was missing, she was already late and she was kicking herself for letting him get that close.

Jill wasn’t meeting Chris’ haze and was toying with a pen that say on his desk; something he would know she did when avoiding talking about something. “Oh sure, that’s going to have her talking to you again. She’s not good enough for the mission, but the boyscout is?” She deflected.

Getting close hadn’t been the issue, getting close enough to still walk away was. At the end of the day; she was a Redfield. Redfield’s we’re here to predict.

"So this is what you're telling me?" Chris stared across at Jill shaking his head. "You actually trust these people? I don't want outsiders in on this." 
Leon sighed deeply. This had been going on for hours. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen these two so at odds. 

Elizabeth was wishing she could crawl under her table. She never should have shown the files to anyone else, let alone let them help her pick out names. 
She could just see how Chris and Jill would turn on her if they found out there were names and files missing from the list.

“Jesus Christ, Red! If we do things your way, this is it! This is your grand team!” She gestured to the four of them in the room. “Tell me again how that is any better than where we were when Umbrella toppled!”

"We are safe!" Chris shouted. "We have managed to survive this and we know how to help others through theirs. Jill...you don't want this list. Elizabeth, you need to do more research. If we invite more people in we're going to get hurt. I refuse to move on this."

Elizabeth sent Al a message while Chris was yelling. She filled him in on all the yelling and sent him a picture of herself beneath the table making a face. 
Maybe she'd simply misunderstood his reason for leaving her? She supposed if he answered or not she would know.